‘Israel is an Apartheid State.’ Stressed the Second Keynote Speaker at AACC’s 6th Annual Theological Symposium
On 7th October 2025, after a heated discussion in response to Bishop Stephen Adegbite’s keynote address entitled Israel is the people of God’, Rev. Dr. Frank Chikane took the podium to make the second keynote address opening AACC’s 6th annual theological symposium. Dr. Frank Chikane is a South African cleric, civil servant and anti-apartheid activist who over the time has served the ecumenical movement in various capacities.
His keynote address took a totally opposite turn to the first address as he emphasized that Israel is an apartheid state. Drawing parallels with his home country's history and expounding on the diverse theological and political perspectives held by African churches on the Israeli Palestinian conflict, Dr. Chikane stressed the need for Christians to differentiate between the biblical and the political Israel.
“For those born before 1948,” he argued, "this distinction is crucial."
He reminded the audience that the Israel of the Bible was consistently punished for disobedience and taken into exile. In stark contrast, he stated, the Israel of today acts with impunity and shows no respect for international laws.
Dr. Chikane directly addressed the misuse of faith to justify political oppression, recalling that theology in South Africa was used to justify apartheid. He criticized the notion that the "language of the Bible is the language of the God of Israel; the chosen nation and also challenged the idea that people should assist the second coming of Jesus, stating that Jesus will come on his time.
“We cannot tolerate the killings of people to hasten the coming of Jesus,” he noted.
He also critiqued discriminatory theology by reaffirming the universal nature of Christ's love.
"God created us all - both Jews and the gentiles. Jesus is not tribal and he loves all of us equally," he expressed.
Rev. Dr. Frank Chikane also emphasized the urgent need for policy change to address the systemic issues underlying the Israel - Palestine conflict.
His keynote address flamed up the already heated debate on the relationship between Christians and the state of Israel and Palestine. The debate also featured questions around the authority of scripture, the moral ground for disputing Zionism, among others.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Frank Chikane emphasized that, “you cannot be people of God and do things that contradict the nature of God.”
In the photo: Rev. Dr. Frank Chikane delivering his keynote address. [Courtesy - Brian Muyunga]
